Frost is responsible for making all the calls in Auburn's 4-2-5 defense, and his ability to communicate is part of the reason the sophomore has the edge on Jake Holland coming out of the spring.

"There’s some things our Mike linebacker has to be 100 percent," Johnson said. "He doesn’t have to be 100 percent on every tackle. He doesn’t have to be 100 percent on every step. But he has to be 100 percent when he’s quarterbacking our defense. He’s got a long way to go.

From the start, Frost embraced the responsibility of the role, saying that he felt like he could play fast under the right call.

"With this defense, I feel like it's a little more free, more room to run," Frost said early in spring practice. "Just focusing and really getting into the film room extra and making sure all my assignments are covered an everything."

Frost's task over the summer is to make sure his assignments -- and the rest of the defense's -- become second nature.

For all of his physical gifts, Frost still struggles at times with a missed assignment or a missed call, and those can be costly in Auburn's defense.

"He’ll come out some days and make some missed assignments that will really get you in trouble," Johnson said. "Not only in his position, but he’ll make a call as a Mike linebacker and it will be like a quarterback calling a wrong formation. You have to call a timeout or you’ll have a busted play because of it."

Frost, only a sophomore, struggled to pick up Brian VanGorder's scheme last season, part of the reason he made only five tackles in limited playing time as a redshirt freshman.

But he's been more focused on picking up the scheme this season. Before spring practice even started, Frost was already spending extra time in the film room.

He has to carry that over the summer to smooth out some of the rough spots in his game.

"We've all been in the film room getting the work done when the coach isn't in there," Frost said. "The more you do that, the most you'll be able to come out and everything will be second nature."

If Frost can eliminate those mistakes in the middle, he's got a chance to be a solid starter as a sophomore in Johnson's defense.

"Kris has got an edge on it," Johnson said. "Kris had a lot of really good practice. My linebacker depth chart in total is very fluid right now... I wouldn't rule out anybody right now."